# Martyrdom of Polycarp 18.1

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:336; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2, LCL 25 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1913), 312–345 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/18/1/

Summary: The centurion had Polycarp's body burned.

## Greek text

Ἰδὼν οὖν ὁ κεντυρίων τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων γενομένην φιλονεικίαν, θεὶς αὐτὸν ἐν μέσῳ, ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς, ἔκαυσεν.

## English translation (Claude)

So the centurion, seeing the contentiousness of the Jews, placed the body in the middle, as is their custom, and burned it.

## Translation notes

- “As is their custom” probably refers to the Roman practice of burning the bodies of the condemned.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 18.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/18/1/).